Toy motor boat



June '12, 1928.

1,673,701 F. L. LINDSTROM TOY MOTOR BOAT Original Filed March 24, 1927 if 2/" J; 22

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Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOY MOTOR BOAT.

Bailing 01 application Serial No. 178,058,

The present invention relates to improvements in toy boats, and is a refiling of my application for patent filed March 24, 1927, Serial No. 178,058. It has for an object to provide a boat formed from pressed sheet metal stampings, which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and will be of sturdy and water tight construction. It is particularly proposed to provide a toy boat in which the hull is formed of a single piece of sheet metal pressed to shape and in which the deck piece, adapted to carry the spring motor, is secured thereto in a manner to provide a water tight closure and support for the motor, and a rigid reinforcing strut structure for the hull. I

It is further proposed in one embodiment of the invention to provide a superstructure adapted to be secured to the hull and to secure the relation of the reinforcing deck piece.

' Uther objects are to provide improved means for mounting the propeller and providing a water seal between the same and the interior of the boat, and an improved rudder construction adapted to be set in adjusted positions, and further adapted to be moved to a position during winding of the spring motor to retain the propeller against movement.

A still further object is to provide such boat with a toy figure of a man, and to provide improved means for mounting and se curing such figure.

With the above and other objects in view, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the in vention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

in the drawings 2- Fig. 1 .is a perspective view of a toy boat, according to one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the deck piece employed.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof, the forward portion being broken away.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional filed March 24, 1927. This application flled January 27, 1928.

Serial No. 250,066.

View of the toy boat, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 6 is a detailed horizontal sectional view of the prow of the hull.

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the modified form of the invention in which the body of the boat comprises only the hull and the deck piece.

Similar reference characters indicate cor responding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

The toy boat, according to the present embodiment of the invention, comprises a body formed of sheet metal consisting of three main portions, i. e. a hull, a deck piece, and a superstructure. The hull .10 is pressed to shape from a single piece of sheet metal and is free from seams except at the bow, where the edges are secured together by bending over a flange 11 provided at one edge in overlying relation to the other edge, the seam thus formed being tightly clinched together to provide a water tight seal, as clearly indicated in Fig. 6. The stern portion 12 is pressed in the solid metal, and is undercut to provide a space for the rudder and propeller, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The upper edge of the hull is disposed in a flat plane and is provided with a slight outwardly bent flange 13 for attachment of the deck piece and super-structure.

The deck piece 14 is also pressed from a single piece of sheet metal and is provided with a marginal continuous flange 15 bent upwardly and outwardly with respect to the surface of the deck piece, and adapted to seat upon the flange 13 of the hull, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. In order to render the deck piece substantially rigid a marginal recess 16 is pressed therein contiguous to the flange 15 and transverse grooves 17 extend between the sides of the grooves 16 and provide rigid strut portions for the hull. The deck piece is further provided with a pressed up portion 18 at the under side of which the spring motor 19 is secured by means of lugs 20 extending through slots 21 in the portion 18 and bent over upon the upper surface thereof. An opening 22 is rovided in the portion 18 in which the en s of the gear axles extend windshield member.

and also in which the upwardly projecting key 23 is disposed, and rearwardly of the portion 18 there is provided a semi-c rcular opening 24 in which the crank portion 25 of the motor is disposed.

A toy figure 26 of a man preferably formed of two pieces of sheet metal secured together by lugs 27 is also carried upon the deck piece and is secured thereon by means of lugs 28 extended through the slot 29 in the deck piece and bent over upon the under side thereof. The deck piece is also provided with an elongated slot 30 through which the leg portion of the figure projects.

The super-structure 31 is also pressed from a single piece of sheet metal and is of substantially stream line shape in simulation of a speed boat, and is provided at its marginal edge with a continuous flange 32 bent outwardly and downwardly so as to seat upon the upper surface of the flange 15 of the deck piece, and to embrace the outer edges of said flange 13 of the hull and bent under the flange 13 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, to thereby secure the three portions of the boat body together, the seam thus formed being rendered substantially water tight by tightly clinching the flange 32. The super-structure 31 is provided substantially centrally with a cock pit opening 33 upon the forward edge of which there is provided a windshield member 34 secured by means of lugs 35 provided upon said edge and extended through slots in said The windshield member is provided at its lower edge with a slot opening 36 in which the steering gear portion 37 of the Figure 26 is engaged and is adapted to act as a brace for the figure. Rearwardly of the cock pit opening there is provided a slot 38 for the key 23. At the bow of the boat a flag 39 is engaged in apertures 40 and 41 formed in the superstructure and the deck piece.

The stern portion 12 of the hull is provided with a recessed and flattened propeller bearing portion 42 in which the propeller shaft bearing sleeve 43 is secured, this sleeve being provided inwardly of the hull with a shoulder 44 having a washer 45 engaged upon its outwardly projecting end and secured by flanging over the end of the sleeve as at 46. The propeller shaft 47 is rotatably engaged in the sleeve 43, has the propeller 48 secured upon its outer end, and is provided at its inner end with a crank portion 49 engaged by the crank portion 25 of the motor. The washer 45 provides a water tight connection for the sleeve and the upper end of the sleeve within the hull is disposed above the water line so that water will not flow through the propeller bearing into the boat. The rudder comprises a rudder blade 50 secured upon the end of a vertical rod 51 rotatably engaged in holes 52, 53 and 54 respectively, provided in the hull, the deck piece and the super-structure, and at its upper end is bent downwardly into substantially V shape, as at 55, to provide a handle portion. Between the under surface of the hull and the blade 50 there is provided a coil spring 56 normally pressing the handle portion 55 downwar ly upon the superstructure, and in order to fix the position of the rudder there are provided in the superstructure a series of depressions 57 in any one of which the handle may be engaged so as to determine the course of the boat. The rudder is furthermore so arranged that during winding of the motor the blade 50 may be swung into locking engagement with the propeller 48 by moving the handle 55 beyond the outer depressions 57, the spring 56 holding the same in such position. In this way the boat may be placed in the water with the spring motor wound up and when it is desired to start the boat the rudder may be swung into the desired depression 57, whereupon the propeller is released and the boat proceeds along the course determined by the particular depression 57 in which the handle is engaged.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of the invention in which the boat body consists merely of the hull l0 and the deck piece 14, the latter being bent over upon the flange 13 of the hull, as at 58, to provide a water tight connection.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a toy boat, a one piece sheet metal hull and a deck piece engaged at the upper edge of said hull and constituting a transverse brace therefor, a toy figure of a driver mounted upon said deck piece, a superstructure secured at its edge to said hull and securing the relation of said deck piece, said super-structure being provided with a cock pit opening in which said figure of the driver is disposed, and a windshield member secured in said cock pit opening and adapted to position said figure of the driver.

2. In a toy boat, a one piece sheet metal hull having a stern portion provided with a rudder shaft opening, a deck piece engaged at the upper edge of said hull and constituting a transverse brace therefor, and having a rudder shaft opening in alignment with said openin of the hull, a superstructure having its e ge secured to said hull and securing the relation of said deck piece and provided with a rudder shaft opening in alignment with said rudder shaft openings of the deck piece and hull, a rudder having a shaft engaged in said aligned rudder shaft openings and provided at its upper end with a bent handle portion adapted to engage the upper surface of the super-structure, and a coil spring engaged about said rudder shaft between the hull and the rudder, and adapted to yieldably engage said handle portion with the super-structure.

3. In a toy boat, a one piece sheet metal hull having a stern portion provided with a rudder shaft opening, a deck piece en gaged at the upper edge of said hull and constituting a transverse brace therefor, and provided with a rudder opening in align- 'ment with said rudder opening of the hull, a super-structure secured at its edge to said hull and constituting a transverse brace therefor, said super-structure being provided with a rudder shaft opening in alignment with said rudder shaft opening of the deck piece and hull and being further provided with a plurality of spaced indentations radially disposed about said rudder opening, a rudder having a shaft engaged in said rudder openings, provided at its upper end with a handle port-ion bent therefrom and adapted to engage in said indentations, and a spring engaged on said rudder shaft between said hull and the rudder, and adapted to yieldably retain said handle portion in said indentations.

4. In a toy boat, a one piece sheet metal hull, a deck piece secured at the upper edge of said hull and constituting a transverse brace therefor, a propeller carried by said hull, a rudder rotatably mounted in said hull and deck piece, and adapted to be engaged with and lock the propeller against movement, and a spring means for yieldably retaining said rudder in said propeller locking relation.

5. In a toy boat, a hull formed of a single piece of sheet metal stamped and drawn up to form a seamless keel, a seamless stern having an opening therein, seamless side portions, a seamed bow end, and an angularly positioned tubular bearing sleeve secured within the opening in the stern of the hull and having its outer end projected below the normal water line of the boat and its inner end extended above said water line said sleeve having a shoulder and washer to provide a water tight seal.

6. In a, toy boat, a one-piece sheet metal hull having a stern portion provided with a rudder shaft opening, a super-structure having its edge secured to said hull and provided with a rudder shaft opening in alignment with said rudder shaft opening of the hull, a rudder having a shaft engaged in said aligned rudder shaft openings and provided at its upper end with a bent handle portion adapted to engage the upper surface of the super-structure, a coil spring engaged about said rudder shaft between the hull and rudder, and adapted to yieldably engage said handle portion with the super-structure.

7. In a toy boat, a sheet metal hull having a propeller shaft opening in its rear end, a propeller shaft sleeve engaged in said opening at an angle with its inner end above and its outer end below the water line, said sleeve having an annular shoulder to abut a ainst one side of the hull and having its on portion turned back. to secure the sleeve to the hull in a way to form a water-tight joint, a propeller havin a shaft rotatably journaled in said s eeve and a motor carried within the boat and adapted to operate the propeller.

8. In a toy boat, a sheet metal hull having a propeller shaft opening in its rear end, a propeller shaft sleeve engaged in said open-. ing at an angle with its inner end above and its outer end below the water line, said sleeve having an annular shoulder to abut against one side of the hull, a washer upon the sleeve and positioned against the side of the hull, an end portion of the sleeve bein turned back to secure the sleeve washer an bull together in a manner to form a water-ti ht joint, a propeller having a shaft rotataily journaled in said sleeve, and a motor carried within the boat and adapted to operate the propeller.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut this 26th day of January, Al D. 1928.

FRANK L. LINDSTROM. 

